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In October 2010, Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, famously told The National Journal, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Barack Obama to be a one-term president." And that's how he and his party acted.
Well, Mitch, how's that workin' out for ya?
No one can know for sure what complex emotional chemistry tipped this election Obama's way, but here's my guess: In the end, it came down to a majority of Americans believing that whatever his faults, Obama was trying his hardest to fix what ails the country and that he had to do it with a Republican Party that, in its gut, did not want to meet him halfway but wanted him to fail -- so that it could swoop in and pick up the pieces. To this day, I find McConnell's declaration appalling. Consider all the problems we have faced in this country over the last four years -- from debt to adapting to globalization to unemployment to the challenges of climate change to terrorism -- and then roll over that statement: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president."
That, in my view, is what made the difference. The GOP lost an election that, given the state of the economy, it should have won because of an excess of McConnell-like cynicism, a shortage of new ideas and an abundance of really bad ideas -- about immigration, about climate, about how jobs are created and about abortion and other social issues.
It seems that many Americans went to the polls without much enthusiasm for either candidate, but, nevertheless, with a clear idea of whom they preferred. The majority seemed to be saying to Obama: "You didn't get it all right the first time, but we're going to give you a second chance." In a way, they voted for "hope and change" again. I don't think it was so much a ratification of health care or "Race to the Top" or any other Obama initiative. It was more a vote on his character: "We think you're trying. Now try even harder. Learn from your mistakes. Reach out to the other side, even if they slap away your hand, and focus like a laser on the economy, so those of us who voted for you today without much enthusiasm can feel good about this vote."
And that is why Obama's victory is so devastating for the GOP. A country with nearly 8 percent unemployment preferred to give the president a second chance rather than Mitt Romney a first one. The Republican Party today needs to have a real heart-to-heart with itself.
The GOP has lost two presidential elections in a row because it forced its candidate to run so far to the loony right to get through the primaries, dominated by its ultraconservative base, that he could not get close enough back to the center to carry the national election. It is not enough for Republicans to tell their Democratic colleagues in private -- as some do -- "I wish I could help you, but our base is crazy." They need to have their own reformation. The center-right has got to have it out with the far-right, or it is going to be a minority party for a long time.
Many in the next generation of America know climate change is real, and they want to see something done to mitigate it. Many in the next generation of America will be of Hispanic origin and insist on humane immigration reform that gives a practical legal pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants. The next generation is going to need immigration of high-IQ risk-takers from India, China and Latin America if the U.S. is going to remain at the cutting edge of the information technology revolution and be able to afford the government we want. Many in the next generation of America see gays and lesbians in their families, workplaces and Army barracks, and they don't want to deny them the marriage rights held by others. The GOP today is at war with too many in the next generation of America on all of these issues.
All that said, my prediction is that the biggest domestic issue in the next four years will be how we respond to changes in technology, globalization and markets that have, in a very short space of time, made the decent-wage, middle-skilled job -- the backbone of the middle class -- increasingly obsolete. The only decent-wage jobs will be high-skilled ones.
The answer to that challenge will require a new level of political imagination -- a combination of educational reforms and unprecedented collaboration between business, universities and government to change how workers are trained and empowered to keep learning. It will require tax reforms and immigration reforms. America today desperately needs a center-right GOP that is offering merit-based, market-based approaches to all these issues -- and a willingness to meet the other side halfway. The country is starved for practical, bipartisan cooperation, and it will reward politicians who deliver it and punish those who don't.
The votes have been counted. Obama now needs to get to work to justify the second chance the country has given him, and the Republicans need to get to work understanding why that happened.
Hope and Change, Part 2
In October 2010, Sen. Mitch McConnell, the Republican leader, famously told The National Journal, "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Barack Obama to be a one-term president." And that's how he and his party acted.


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I am rewriring my car with new harness and I noticed something strange. My left turn lights blink faster than my right turn lights. They are both routed through the same relay and I don't think they did that with the old harness.
- 1959 Nash Metropolitan
- Positive Ground
- No after-market electronics remaining (It has a radio and temp guage, but I removed them because the wiring was done incorrectly.)

subset: commoncrawl


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Those of you who keep up with upcoming patch notes and blue posts on the official WoW forums have probably known for quite some time–ever since before Wrath's release in fact–that both Wild Growth and Circle of Healing were living in the shadow of the nerf bat. A 6-second cooldown has been threatened for both spells since beta testing proved their strength.
Now that the nerf has gone to PTRs, a new wave of complaints has swept over most healing websites. If the comments on Matticus's recent WoWInsider article are any indication, the nerf to AoE insta-heals draws a passionate response from almost all players, whether they belong to one of the affected classes or not. In fact, what surprises me about the whole discussion is the sheer number of vehement, "L2P nub, don't spam AoE heals" type retorts. A lot of discipline priests, in particular, seem to feel vindicated by the nerf. On the other side are those that passionately argue against nerfs to any class. I sympathize with this point–such an adjustment to two classes makes us all weaker. When there are less available tools in the toolkit, the game becomes both more difficult and less fun to play.
That said, I find myself having very little personal reaction at this point. Perhaps that's because I've known that Wild Growth spam isn't a long-term tactic for months now? This is not to say that I'm in support of putting in a 6 second cooldown on Wild Growth and Circle of Healing, just that by now I've become accustomed to the idea.
From a certain perspective, this nerf seems necessary. The following series of musings is my attempt to take what I've observed through Naxx 10 and 25, Sartharion 10 and 25, and Malygos 25 and try to explain why, from the developers' perspective, it's druids' and priests' turn to cry.
The State of Healing in Wrath
1. Right now, the risk of dps death during raids is minimal. Healing is relatively strong overall, and three out of the four healing classes have capable raid-healing tools.
2. Right now, the risk of tank death during raids is minimal. Healers can keep up with incoming damage, and tank healers often have time to cast spells on other targets.
3. Most encounters are designed with at least some AoE damage. This kind of damage will always be at least a little challenging for healers because they have to deal with the Interface Boss in order to get heals on multiple targets. However, there is no new Gurtogg Bloodboil yet–AoE damage has not been taken to the kind of extremes we saw in BC.
4. Wrath encounters typically require less healers than BC bosses did. For most guilds, I would take the number that they ran with in BC and subtract one to get their perfect number of healers for a 25-person raid.
5. Smart heals like Chain Heal, Circle of Healing, and Wild Growth are really, really effective. It turns out that (surprise, surprise) a computer is better than a human being at calculating who needs a heal.
6. Mana management is less challenging than most bloggers–including me–thought it would be. It turns out that the level 80 epic gear does a pretty good job of getting people the regen they need, even though some of the old familiar tools (mana oil and chain-potting) are history.
The Behavior of Healers in the Wrath environment
Intelligent players respond to the conditions given them, and the top WoW players will always use a play style that the numbers support. Now, there may be individual differences and preferences, but given free choice, almost all players of the same class and spec will, at the top end of the ability spectrum, make the same decisions. Here's how raiders are reacting to our current capabilities and to the demands of the current content.
1. Healers are using Wild Growth and Circle of Healing to the utmost. And why not? These two heals do, in fact, make the content much easier. If AoE damage is the challenge (and Blizzard seems determined that it should be), these two spells are the antidote of the moment.
2. Healing has become a competition between healers instead of a mad race to keep people alive. No one is going to die anyway–the content is too easy for that. The best healers are trying to sneak in effective heals against their fellows. Spells like Wild Growth, Circle of Healing, and even the high-HPS glyphed Healing Touch shine in an atmosphere of heavy competition.
3. Healers are not focusing on mana efficiency. When the content is easy and the team can kill a boss quickly, mana efficiency is less relevant. There are no prizes awarded for ending an encounter with 40% mana. The only prize available is for healing output. As such, many players end up healing too much too early and needing someone else's innervate. This has happened to me a few times, and I've been trying to watch it.
4. Druids and priests are, in fact, leaving paladins and shamans behind on the meters. This has only one good effect–that shamans aren't as necessary any more. I've recruited for two different guilds, and the hardest position to hire is that of alliance resto shaman. There just aren't many out there.
What the Developers Hope the Nerf Will Accomplish
Here is where I really get speculative. The following is my best guess about exactly what kind of "fix" the new 6-second cooldown will be.
1. The nerf will retroactively add difficulty to encounters that guilds have already cleared. Some guilds may even find themselves unable to beat a "farm status" boss. As a result, guilds may stay in the current tier of content longer than they otherwise would. This is good for developers, because it stresses them less to release the next tier in a timely manner.
2. The healing meters will shake out a little differently. The conspiracy-loving part of my brain thinks that it's "best" for Blizzard if people go back to complaining about resto shamans. After all, they're far less numerous than priests and druids, at least on alliance side. While most guilds could fill their entire healing roster with priests and druids, I doubt anyone could fill theirs entirely with shamans. It's a safer class to have at the top of the chart.
3. The management of another cooldown will add back some of the difficulty of playing a druid or priest. The developers want playing a healer to be difficult. If healing is difficult, a guild takes longer to go through a tier of content. For example, let's take the healing druid. In the good old days of managing 7 second Lifebloom stacks on multiple targets, timing used to be everything. With stacking de-incentivized, I often have only one 9 second triple stack to manage, giving me a lot of freedom. I have a feeling though that now I will be casting Wild Growth every time it's up. There will be a bit of a return to a fixed spell rotation. I hear many healers threatening to give up their AoE spells entirely, maybe even going as far to spec out of them. I tend to agree with Matticus in thinking that, paradoxically, Circle of Healing and Wild Growth will become more important. We'll need to actively manage those cooldowns, and the effect of that adjustment period will be to slow progress down.
4. There might be room for an extra healer in a healing team. Circle of Healing and Wild Growth have been such workhorses that the old numbers for a healthy healing squad didn't make sense any more. This might give a few out of work raid healers something to do. It's not good for Blizzard if lots of players lose their raid spots.
Am I in Favor of the Nerf?
Personally, no I'm not. And yet, I'm not up in arms about it either. I realize that it hits druids less hard than priests, but I'm not worried about either class's raid spots. Wild Growth and Circle of Healing are still good spells. Comparatively, I'd say that the Lifebloom nerf of a few months ago was much more devastating than this one.
The addition of a 6 sec cooldown to my best-designed spell is not a happy prospect, and it's not the kind of thing that makes healing "more fun." In fact, managing an extra cooldown, especially for druids, who are already managing Lifebloom and Swiftmend, is pretty much anti-fun. I've never believed developers' claims that they want to make healing "more fun." I don't think that's really in their advantage–to really make healing more fun would probably "trivialize" the content as well, forcing them to come out with more content patches on an accelerated timeline. What they might actually do is change our interface to be more "interactive"–and also a ton more difficult to use. I dread this prospect a lot more than any nerf to Wild Growth! Think about the new vehicle interfaces and imagine if you had to heal and target with that! What if all healing were like Malygos Phase 3 or the final boss of the Oculus? As it is, I think the developers recognize that healing, more so than tanking or dps, requires players to modify their interface. I hope they just leave us alone with that and let Grid do what their standard frames can or will not.


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in Your Neighborhood
Bet you never thought you would ever see the day when I would post an article on the successful methods of supporting or even starting an animal right group, but lo and behold, I have seen many in our own ranks do just that!
"Tell us it isn't so, Albert!!!" You cry in response, gnashing your teeth and rolling your eyes.
Well the truth is that many people that claim to be hunters just don't get the responsibilities that they have to everyone else that is a hunter. I'm not going to talk about the lawbreakers like poachers, criminals, and their ilk. That is in a category all its own, but I will mention people that facilitate law breaking in the guise of hunting.
First of all, didn't your mother teach you how to act properly? I mean seriously. Didn't she teach you right from wrong? Let me ask you, aside from the fact that there are many things that you can do, aren't there things that you shouldn't do?
Like this maybe?:
Let's see, we have a beer, a hot tub, and a rifle. Assuming this is a legitimate photo, whether joking around or not, it simply perpetuates the stereotypical view that hunters are a thoughtless bunch of cretins. Use your head, don't do or portray stupid crap. By the way, his particular picture is ranked very high in the social networking sites. The commentaries in most cases, are in very negative terms.
I've stamped it with my seal of un-approval.
Its corollary would be:
Here are a minimum few you should be aware of.
- PETA operates on an annual budget of $ 29,000,000. They euthanized 86.3% of their animals and only adopted out 13.7%. Most of the money that is raised is spent on publicity to raise more money. (Gotta pay those salaries!)
- The income of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) for the year 2005, was close to $125 million. Only $2 million went to animal shelters.
- The HSUS managed to pay its president, Paul Irwin, $237,831 and its chief executive officer, John Hoyt, $209,051. Additionally the HSUS provided tens of thousands of dollars in bonuses to the pair.
- On the national level, 34 million sportsmen age 16 and older spent more than $76 billion on hunting and fishing related materials in 2006, supporting 1.6 million jobs.
- For the last ten years of that records are available for, less than 10000 homicides per year occurred with handguns, and less than 4000 with other firearms. That means that there are less than 14000 firearms related homicides per year.
- Alcohol related deaths are approximately 40000 per year.
I am passionate about the Right Keep and Bear Arms. I am passionate about the Right to Hunt as I see fit. What we all need to avoid is a stance that does not allow for divergent thoughts or activities. We can disagree, but we shouldn't splinter and fracture our common relationship.
Another example is the traditional muzzle loader vrs the inline, or the traditional bow vrs the compound vrs the crossbow. What exactly is the argument? The only thing we should be concerned with is whether we can take the game cleanly or not in a lawful and ethical manner.
I reserve this section for those that should know better and allow actual or mental greed get the better of them.
Image Credit: sevqi.k
As many of us are aware the staff at Game Trails Lodge were illegally killing does and using hunter's personal information (who had previously hunted at the facility) to tag the kills.
"Their (Kentucky Fish and Wildlife) investigation turned up numerous instances of Game Trails employees, their friends and family chronically taking over-limits of deer, outside hunting season parameters, supplying false information to Kentucky Fish and Wildlife and using social security numbers of Game Trails clients without their permission to Telecheck their deer. harvests" Kentucky Dept of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Why would the friends and family act in such a thoughtless manner; did no one question the activity? What where they thinking! Do not allow yourself to be dragged into illicit activities. It is not worth the legal or even the personal ramifications.
Now when corporate entities start doing things like this I'm not sure there is any hope for anyone!
In conclusion, all I ask is that you think before you act. All to many times we do the work of the animal rights people for them. Fight misrepresentations with facts. Be above reproach, by acting better than they do. Educate yourself and be proactive. Be active in the political arena; write when you are presented with an opportunity to write. Speak highly of your fellow sportsmen, and live up to the best standards you can.
Albert A Rasch
The Hunt Continues...


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Welcome to the Expert's Guide!
Welcome to the Webster University Online Expert's Guide. The Expert's Guide allows local and national journalists to identify and connect with expert faculty in several fields including business, economics, education and international relations.We are in the process of updating the Expert's Guide. Check back in the future to see the updated list!


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Parkinson's patients, unless they live in the boondocks, generally have a neurologist. Most PCP's don't want to manage this (nor should they). So when I see a Parkie in the hospital I always ask them who their regular neurologist is.
And this lady told me it was Dr. Osa, who works across the street from the rehab hospital and goes there to round. He's been following her for 5 years.
So I went back to her chart, and reviewed the records. She was recently hospitalized for hip surgery, and during the hospital stay Dr. Osa saw her EVERY FREAKING DAY and, as a consultant his name was printed at the top of every damn page of her hospital stay. But Dr. Fruitcake, who's following her in rehab, somehow didn't notice that minor detail.
So I went back and asked the patient. Did you tell Dr. Fruitcake you see Dr. Osa? "Of course I did, but she never payed attention. She just said she'd have a neurologist come see me."
So I asked the charge nurse. Did Dr. Fruitcake even look at the hospital records? "Of course. I handed them to her myself. She gave them back to me and said to put them in the chart. She told me that she never wastes time looking at hospital records because she has a busy life."
I changed the consult to Dr. Osa, and called him myself. He'll be in later today.
I drove home, an hour wasted.
Dr. Fruitcake, READ THE FUCKING CHART. If you don't have time to take proper care of patients then get out of medicine.


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Weaker players have disappeared while other businesses chose to merge with other peers in order to survive, and the concentration process will continue.
- Italy´s private consumption growth is expected to slow down to 0.5% in 2017 after growing 1.4% in 2016. However, domestic demand for consumer durables is expected to remain stable, as retail sales are forecast to grow 1.9%, and inflation will increase only modestly, by 1.7%. Retailers' profit margins are expected to remain stable.
- Due to its dependence on real estate, the furniture subsector has suffered yearly declines until 2014. A rebound started in 2014, and in 2016 demand for furniture increased 2.2%, and will be further sustained in 2017 by new public incentives to support household consumption. In the household appliances segment sales grew 2.9% in 2016, also thanks to some public incentives, partially confirmed for 2017.
- The consumer durables retail sector remains highly competitive, with a moderate to high level of fragmentation. Weaker players with poor financial strength have disappeared while other businesses chose to merge with other peers in order to survive. It is expected that the current concentration process will continue until a new market balance is found, considering that the average size of Italian retailers remains small compared to European peers.
- Payment terms generally range from 60 to 90 days. Payment delays and insolvencies remained stable in 2016, and no major change is expected in 2017.
- Our underwriting stance for consumer durables retail will remain generally open with, a more cautious approach towards the weaker players in the distribution chain, which often lack the critical mass for long-term survival in a highly competitive environment.


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Pope: St. Alphonsus Liguori Teaches Us About Prayer
The Holy Father spoke about the saint on his feast day, Aug. 1.
Pope Benedict XVI praised the 18th-century Italian St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori for reminding Christians of the key to heaven: prayer.
"St. Alphonsus reminds us that the relationship with God is essential in life and that only with a daily personal prayer and participation in the sacraments can the Divine presence that directs, illuminates and makes safe and peaceful our path, even in the midst of difficulties and dangers, grow in us," said the Pope during his general audience address Aug. 1.
Speaking to thousands of pilgrims gathered in the town of Castel Gandolfo's main square, the Pope marked today's feast day of St. Alphonsus by meditating on what the founder of the Redemptorist order had to say about the importance of prayer.
It is "a means necessary to salvation and the graces we need to achieve it," Alphonsus wrote in his 1759 treatise Prayer: The Great Means of Salvation and of Perfection.
"This sentence synthesizes Alphonsian understanding of prayer," said the Pope. "St. Alphonsus wanted us to understand that in every situation of life we need to pray, especially in times of trial and difficulty."
Therefore, we "must always knock at the door of the Lord with confidence" and never be afraid "to turn to him with confidence and to submit to our petitions, in the certainty of receiving what we need."
St. Alphonsus was born into a noble family on the outskirts of Naples in southern Italy in 1696. He initially pursued a successful career as a lawyer, but he gave it up to enter the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in 1723; he was ordained to the priesthood three years later.
In 1732, St. Alphonsus founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, or Redemptorists, as they are also known. He died in 1787 at the age of 90. His canonization followed in 1839, courtesy of Pope Gregory XVI. Pope Pius IX proclaimed him a doctor of the Church in 1871.
Pope Benedict suggested that the enduring popularity of St. Alphonsus is due to his "simply, straightforward style" and his teaching on the sacrament of reconciliation.
"In a time of great rigor, the result of the influence of Jansenism, he recommended confessors to administer this sacrament expressing the joyful embrace of God the Father, who in his infinite mercy never ceases to welcome every repentant son," said the Pope.
He also recalled how the saint proposed that "health and all the grace we need" are what is truly required in life, meaning: "not only the health of the body, but primarily that of the soul, which Jesus gifts to us."
It is this "liberating presence" of Christ that "makes us truly fully human, and thus our existence full of joy" can only be achieved through prayer, said the Pope.
To illustrate this need for prayer, St. Alphonsus would often give the example of St. Philip Neri, who, "from the first moment when he woke in the morning, said to God: 'My God, beware of Philip; otherwise, he will betray you.'"
It is "only through prayer," said the Pope, that we can accept the grace of Christ, "which, by illuminating us in every situation, helps us discern the truth, and, by fortifying us, renders our will capable of implementing what we know to be good."


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You are currently browsing the tag archive for the 'Beverages' tag.
Now THIS was a lyric I could get behind, because from the moment I concieved of this blog, I knew how I was going to put Harrison's words into consumable form: by making a delicious alcoholic beverage. A cocktail of mine own creation.
I must be a bit of a lush since as soon as I heard the word "sling" I immediately thought of a Singapore Sling cocktail, which is some ghastly fruity concoction that only girl-drink-drunks would ever consider slurping back. Being a pretty dedicated consumer of dirty martinis, I do not particularly enjoy sugary alcoholic beverages. I like my booze to be astringent and pure, free of sugary mixers (aside from club soda) and maybe only mildly flavoured with real lemon or lime. So I knew I didn't want to just make a cloyingly-sweet version of a Singapore Sling. Instead I came up with this punchy, spicy, only slightly-sweet cocktail, that I think just about everyone can enjoy. Responsibly, of course.
A Ginger Sling With A Pineapple Heart
Makes one.
1 oz each gin, brandy, and Fireball whiskey (regular whiskey will do in a pinch; the cinnamon just adds a nice kick)
2 oz spicy ginger syrup (see below)
club soda, sparkling mineral water, or a spicy natural ginger beer if you want the flavour to pack even more punch
pineapple heart* and pomegranate seeds for garnish
Shake boozes together well in a martini shaker. Strain into a glass. Add syrup and soda to the top. Garnish with pineapple heart and some pomegranate seeds if desired.
*My heart-shaped cookie cutter wasn't sharp enough to actually punch the shape out of the pineapple slice, so I just used a sharp knife to trace around the edges. If you don't care about your pineapple actually being heart-shaped, just cut a slit in it and hang it off the edge of the glass.
Spicy Ginger Syrup
1 1/2 pounds fresh ginger, coarsely grated
1 cup organic sugar
1/2 cup water
Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to medium and let simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool in pan. Strain into a jar. Store in refrigerator. Yields enough for 4 Ginger Slings.


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Huge thanks to Ian Bayley for organising this QUEST event.
QUEST Grand Prix Schedule
11:00 - 11:20 Registration
11:30 - 13:00 Individual quiz
13:00 - 13:30 Individual quiz answers and scoring
13:30 - 14:15 Lunch
14:15 - 15:00 Hot 100
15:30 All being well, the individual quiz scores should appear.
15:30 - 16:20 The 'Brows' quiz
Lunch is not provided, but the venue serves food, so please support them.
About the quizzes
UK Quiz Circuit Individual quiz - 240 question quiz split across six genres ('Art, History & Culture', 'Civilisation', 'Entertainment', 'Lifestyle', 'Physical World' and 'Sport & Games'). Players all get UK Rankings points for this event.
Brows quiz - 50 questions each of highbrow and lowbrow questions, it's up to the player how much of their time they devote to each from the overall 50 minute allowed for the whole paper, containing 100 questions. Each half of the quiz is scored separately out of 50. (viewtopic.php?f=28&t=602)
Hot 100 - 100 questions with an international flavour and World Rankings points. (http://www.worldquizrankings.com)
Entry fee for the QUEST Grand Prix Quiz and the Hot 100 is £12.50 (half price for current full-time students with proof of their status). It is very helpful if you can pay via PayPal. PayPal payments should be made to firstname.lastname@example.com
Because question sets will be sent out to the volunteer organisers, it is ESSENTIAL that you register by MIDNIGHT on Tuesday 31 October. The papers will be printed off overnight and sent out first thing in the morning to ensure they arrive in plenty of time.
All registrations for events must be made via this Facebook page or the Quizzing event page.
QUEST Oxford - 4 November
This is a repository for ephemeral and/or superseded information posts and discussion topics which are nevertheless thought worthy of retention.
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
Re: QUEST Oxford - 4 November
Here's my list of attendees for this venue. Don't forget to let us know if you plan to come to Saturday's Grand Prix by midnight TOMORROW (31st) to give us time to get the question papers printed and out to the hosts. Thank you! x
(Host) Ian Bayley
Charles Redwood
Mavis Webster
(Host) Ian Bayley
Charles Redwood
Mavis Webster
2 posts • Page 1 of 1
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Sen. Florence Shapiro literally held her nose as she agreed to House changes in a bill to give the University of Texas at Austin more leeway in admissions, easing the automatic admission of high school students in the top 10 percent of their class.
Shapiro, R-Plano, is author of the bill and didn't care for House changes. She's said she wasn't consulted about them beforehand.
"I know this is a great disappointment to everybody, but that's life in the big city," said Shapiro, whose measure was OK'd 27-4 by senators.
Voting against were Sens. Joan Huffman, R-Houston; Steve Ogden, R-Bryan; Eliot Shapleigh, D-El Paso; and Tommy Williams, R-Houston.


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findutils - Summary
This project is part of the GNU Project.
`find' is a program which searches a directory tree to find a file or group of files. It walks the directory tree and reports all occurences of a file matching the user's specifications.
`locate' scans one or more databases of filenames and displays any matches. `updatedb' builds the database used by `locate'.
`xargs' builds and executes command lines by gathering together arguments it reads on the standard input. Most often, these arguments are lists of file names generated by `find'.
Registration Date: Thu 15 Feb 2001 05:20:49 PM UTC
License: GNU General Public License v3 or later
Development Status: 5 - Production/Stable
- Browse open items
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- Browse open items
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Nakhon Si Thammarat, ThailandKirsty Turner
Nakhon Si Thammarat is the second largest province of the south of Thailand, located 780 kilometres from Bangkok. This pretty province consists of high plateaus and mountains, lush mangosteen forests, picturesque beaches and beautiful waterfalls.
A great way to see the area's stunning scenery is to visit one of the impressive parks such as the Namtok Yong National Park, the Khao Nan National Park and the Khao Luang National Park. The area is well known for its many sparkling g waterfalls. Some of the best include Namtok Phrom Lok, Namtok Ai Khiao, Namtok Ranae and the very pretty Karom waterfall.
Nakhon Si Thammarat is blessed with a large number of powdery white sand beaches to soak up the sun on. Sun worshipers should check out Ao Karom, Hua Hin Sichon, Hat Kho Khao and Hat Hin Ngam among many others.
Many people travel to Nakhon Si Thammarat especially to visit the shadow play house of Suchat Sapsin, where there are regular performances and work shops. Other popular attractions are the Fan Making Village, the Pottery Village and the interesting Wat Mokhlan Archaeological Site.
Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan is the largest temple in South East Asia, and no visit to Nakhon Si Thammarat is complete without paying respects at the magnificent temple. Other interesting temples in the area include Wat Nantharam, the Wat Chai Na Meditation Centre and Wat Khao Khun Phanom, which is also home to the Khao Khun Phanom Scientific Study Centre.
When it comes to eating, the area's large Muslim population means that there is a lot of cheap and tasty Muslim food to be food at night from small stalls and carts. A great way to dine in style is to buy a selection of Muslim treats and eat them at one of the folding tables whilst you watch the world go by.
Nakhon Si Thammarat Province likes to celebrate, and a good way to get an idea of the area's culture is to time your trip to coincide with one of the vibrant festivals. Chak Phra Pak Tai is an interesting festival which involves the parading of Buddha images through the town, accompanied by chanting and singing.
Hae Phaa Kun That is held in the third lunar month. Most of the town turns out to see a cloth jataka painting, which is wrapped around the main chedi of Wat Phra Mahathat.
The ceremony is followed by displays of traditional singing and dancing and hundreds of small stalls selling local products such as fans, pottery, food and cloth.


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Posted by Editoress on 01/25/12
The Bicycle Trade Association of Canada (BTAC) announces the return of ExpoCycle, Canada's National Bike Show, to Toronto, Ontario. Managed and produced by BTAC, ExpoCycle is the largest and only show of its kind in Canada's cycling industry. ExpoCycle will take place September 8-10, 2012 at the Direct Energy Centre located in downtown Toronto.
"A number of factors came into consideration when we reviewed ExpoCycle and evaluated plans for the future with the BTAC Board of Directors. We reviewed how Canadian bike retailers responded to an on-line survey and they indicated there was a strong need to see ExpoCycle move host cities. Toronto was a top choice for 2012 and the Direct Energy Centre is a world class facility and hosts many of the leading Canadian trade and consumer events," stated Janet O'Connell, BTAC Executive Director
The 2012 show will also see a condensed number of show days, starting off with a Public Day on Saturday, September 8th, followed by two Industry Days on Sunday, September 9th and Monday, September 10th. Building on last year's first Public Day, ExpoCycle will once again provide consumers with a one day exclusive opportunity to see firsthand the latest cycling products on display by over 800 brands.
"Last year we opened ExpoCycle to the public for the first time in history. The show floor saw a steady flow of consumers and exhibitors responded in strong support of continuing with the public day. Many Retailers also took advantage of the additional day to attend the show to hold more appointments with exhibitors. While we are building the public component of the show BTAC is still very committed to the business of our bike retailers, and will be continuing to enhance the experience for our attending retailers with education and networking opportunities," commented Sumar Clarke, ExpoCycle Show Director.
BTAC is currently forming a local organizing committee to create awareness of the Public Day through Toronto's cycling communities and to develop opportunities with local cycling groups. This committee will play a key role and work with BTAC Staff to develop features and events for the Public Day.
Press release
|Return to Canadian Cyclist homepage | Back to Top


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Joy is always what we want for ourselves and for those we love. It is ultimately God's Will for us.
Sometimes, though, we look for it in the wrong places. If we try to find joy merely in the material things, it eludes us.
If we look for it in self-forgetting love, then joy finds us.
Jesus' commandments are all about loving God for himself and loving others in ways that we ourselves would want to be loved. Does this really bring Joy?
Maybe the best answer can come from our own self reflection.
In my life, all my self-centered moments eventually caused me regret. But all the moments of gratitude and caring brought a wonderful sense of joy. This is what Jesus wants us to experience in our everyday life.
"Dear Lord, you came to show us how our lives could be meaningful and joyful. May your spirit guide us so that our live may be in harmony with you. Amen."
Sr. Anne Francis


text: Uluwatu's legendary Single Fin has quickly moved to the top of any Indonesian bucket list. Whether you're after an icy cold Bintang to celebrate an afternoon of long lefts, feel like kicking back to Wednesday's acoustic jams, or just to sit back and enjoy the magical sunset of Uluwatu. Its balcony, the biggest in the archipelago, boasts stunning views of one of surfing's spiritual homes, and comes alive as the sun sinks into the Indian Ocean. Great music (including regular international DJs and live acts), fantastic food and a laidback atmosphere.


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My Review:
My favorite chapter would be, "The Holy Spirit Teaches" because this one discussed the importance of listening to the Holy Spirit and His ultimate guidance. We receive the Holy Spirit when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior and repent for our sins. The author shared countless passages about who the Holy Spirit is. In Ephesians 14, we learned He is a counselor, comforter, and teacher. In this chapter, they also covered how beneficial worshiping God truly is and the different ways people worship God. Michelle also shared in this chapter that they felt it was time to remove the video games her church allowed the children to play and instead create a worship center filled with a prayer wall. I liked how she revealed how it impacted a small boy and how he was so excited to share how much closer to God he felt. I also liked how the authors included at the end of this chapter ideas on how to create a prayer wall in your home and theses are really creative to encourage your family and church to pray for others.
I would recommend this wonderful book to anyone who is seeking a resource to improve and transform their family ministry. I strongly believe if church leaders would apply these seven principles to both their home life and their church we would dramatically reach more people for Christ and they would have a deeper relationship with their Creator. I liked how each chapter included a ministry assignment and had tons of questions to assist readers into comprehending the material. If you're looking for an excellent book on refining your ministry and growing deeper in your walk with God, then read this book!
"I received a review copy of 7 Family Ministry Essentials from Litfuse for this review."
About the book:
7 Family Ministry Essentials: A Strategy for Culture Change in Children's and Student Ministries (David C. Cook, June 2015)
With decades of ministry experience, Michelle Anthony and Megan Marshman capture the guiding essentials of life-changing family ministry.
These seven essentials for children and student leaders emphasize:
1. Empowering families to take spiritual leadership in the home
2. Forming lifetime faith that transcends childhood beliefs
3. Teaching Scripture as the ultimate authority of truth
4. Understanding the role of the Holy Spirit to teach and transform
5. Engaging every generation in the gospel of God's redemptive story
6. Making God central in every biblical narrative and daily living
7. Participating in community with like-minded ministry leaders
7 Family Ministry Essentials will energize and equip you with the practical steps, inspirational stories, and biblical foundation you need as you lead those in your ministry.
Purchase a copy: http://bit.ly/1KIAw33
About the Authors:
DR. MICHELLE ANTHONY is the vice president and publisher of learning resources at David C Cook and a popular speaker in the area of family ministry. She is the author of Spiritual Parenting, The Big God Story, and Becoming a Spiritually Healthy Family. Michelle has graduate degrees in Christian education, Bible and theology as well as over twenty-five years of family ministry experience. Michelle and her husband, Michael are the parents of two adult children and live in Colorado.
MEGAN MARSHMAN is the director of student resources and production for David C Cook and has led and challenged thousands of students in their faith at Hume Lake Christian Camps. With a master's degree in organizational leadership from Azusa Pacific University, Megan speaks nationally at churches, conferences, and university chapels. She and her husband, Randy, live in Long Beach, California.
Read what others are saying:


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EXCLUSIVE: Panorama Media will finance 999, John Hillcoat's follow-up to Lawless, and is in talks with Cross Creek Pictures to come on board as co-financier.
The Queenslander (pictured) is preparing to shoot next spring in Los Angeles.
Buyers report that Panorama represents international rights and has been introducing the crime thriller at AFM ahead of a concerted sales push in early 2013.
The producers are currently out to casting.
This story was updated on Nov 2.


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Just now on MSNBC, Andrea Mitchell subjected RNC Chairman Michael Steele to some aggressive questioning about his record on expenses. She seemed even more annoyed by how he spoke to her.
Populism is an odd fit for Mitchell, as is apparent partisanship, so maybe that's part of what's so weird about this clip. It might be that he keeps interrupting her, but everyone on cable TV interrupts each other. (Whether interruptions vary by gender, I can only guess.)
But it's the way Steele keeps repeating her name, though, that seems to profoundly irritate Mitchell. During a dozen exasperated "Andrea" repetitions, she gets in "Mr. Chairman" and then a very pointed "Sir." Is she just fed up with him refusing to properly answer her questions? Or is this a case of familiarity pointing to a mild form of disrespect, the way in the primaries Hillary Clinton was always Hillary and Barack Obama was always Obama? (And yeah, sure, there was another Clinton with whom you could be confused, but this tends to be the case for plenty of women in public life.) Then again, every TV personality is known by their first name.
Or maybe, like most people, she just thinks Michael Steele is completely ridiculous.


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ABC's Lost scored a 5.6 rating in 18-49s, with 12.8 million viewers overall, according to Nielsen Research. That's down 2 million viewers from last week, when the show returned from a three-month hiatus.
Lost has endured a rocky road in its third season. The season-three premiere was down 20 percent from season two's premiere, and Media Life Magazine suggests today that "the most likely reason [for the ratings dip] is that fans are dissatisfied with the drama's dragging plotlines. Message boards are full of complaints about producers' failure to tie up almost any of the mysteries on the show, instead adding new ones as well as new characters."
On Fox, American Idol predictably won the night. The reality show cornered and bludgeoned a 12.1 rating and 28.5 million viewers overall. Idol lead-in Bones was also ...Read more
It's tough being Simon Cowell… no, really it is. Aside from being one of the most powerful people in television, swimming through his cash like Scrooge McDuck, and fending off females, there's simply little time for everything else in life.
Ellen DeGeneres will be the fourth judge on the ninth season of American Idol, premiering in January 2010, FOX reported in a press release. She'll be a permanent fixture on the panel with Simon Cowell, Randy Jackson, and Kara DioGuardi after the auditions, which will feature guest judges like Victoria Beckham and Neil Patrick Harris.
This is American Idol - the hit ABC musical reality series. Three judges: Katy Perry, Lionel Richie & Luke Bryan, along with host Ryan Seacrest search the US for the next American Idol, a pop star that truly shines above all the rest. Past judges for the FOX series included Simon Cowell, Paula Abdul, Kara DioGuardi, Ellen DeGeneres, Steven Tyler, Mariah Carey , Nicki Minaj, Randy Jackson, Harry Connick Jr , Jennifer Lopez , Keith Urban. With help from the viewers, they will decide from thousands of participants who will walk away with a record deal and the fame and fortune that is sure to come along with it. It has since emerged as hit series in its own right, propelling FOX to the top of television rankings, inspiring various merchandise, and launching the careers of many hit-stars. American Idol had aired Wednesday & Thursday nights during the FOX version. Following season 15 American Idol took a year long break & now is rebooted on ABC starting with season 16.moreless


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H&R Anti Roll Bar Kit
To Fit:
Audi A1 incl. Sportback 8X, 2WD (from Aug 2010 onwards)
H&R Anti Roll Bars are the ideal choice for the enthusiast who wants precision handling. They can be combined with lowering springs or simply used with original springs; either way they make a tremendous difference to the handling of the vehicle.
- Increased stability
- Minimise body roll and improved handling
- Better handling
- Reduces under/over steer
- High tensile steel
- Precision forged ends
- Most applications are adjustable (see notes for details)
- Supplied complete with H&R Urethane/Teflon composite up-rated bushes
- Does not affect the ride quality of the vehicle
- Made in Germany
- 12 month warranty
Kit comes complete with Roll Bar/s, bushes and fitting kit.
Tailor made for your car, H&R Anti Roll Bar Kits need to be fitted in a professional workshop. Most of our Outlets will be able to offer a fitting service for this product - please contact your local Outlet to find out more.
Estimated by Tue 6th Oct 2020
Deliveries are made Monday to Friday and exclude weekends and public holidays.
We have an order cut-off time of 1PM on the days that we are open. Our estimated delivery date takes this into account.
If it is available, we will provide tracking information by email.
|Select Your Location:
|Delivery Cost:
Do you live outside of Europe? For an international delivery quote please click here to request a carriage quote.
If you are ordering multiple items your total postage charge will be reduced. Please check your basket for the total cost.
- Front and Rear Axle
- The image shown is for illustrative purposes only
- Adjustable: No
- When fitting H&R stabilizers use OE mounting parts if they are not included. Check that these parts are in a like-new condition; replace them if this is not the case.
- Height adjustable at the front axle only
- Axle marking: 33325
Why Choose Carnoisseur?
- We've been trading for over 35 years!
- We have Outlets throughout the U.K. and Ireland, run by enthusiasts, that offer face to face advice and fitting facilities.
- We keep hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of stock to ensure the fastest possible delivery of product to our customers.
- We are constantly reviewing our pricing to ensure that our customers get the best deal - click here to find out more about our Price Promise.
Ordering from us is easy
- Order online by adding products to the basket and proceeding to the checkout.
- Order by phone - call 01582 787377
- Order from your local Carnoisseur Outlet - click here to find your nearest Outlet.
Fitting Service
Remember, most of our Outlets offer a fitting service. If you would like a product fitting please contact your nearest Outlet directly.
Full details of the services each Outlet offers are shown on their page - click here to find your nearest Outlet.


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Wind chimes is a site specific sound installation for UCLA's campus carillon.
Each day, data from hourly measurements of the wind will be turned into a 3 minutes score simulating wind chimes.
At 5 P.M. I'll play the result of the last 24 hours in the UCLA's carillon keyboard.
This abstraction and re-composition of wind movements will be distributed across the campus through the Powell Library loudspeakers.
Wind chimes - A sound installation by Martin Bonadeo
UCLA Campus - Outdoors - Anywhere near Powell Library
November 15-16-17-18-19-22-23-24 at 5 P.M.
Scored by Daily Measurements of Wind
Performed by Martin Bonadeo
More info: www.martinbonadeo.com.ar/proge.htm
I've already published it in rhizome.org page///
But I don't know why they didn't publish it in the calendar....
Hope you can help
Here is the essential information.
If you need some more info, photos or whatever, please contact me.


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The claim that "everything is bigger in Texas" will likely gain further credence later this year, when the speed limit on a stretch of toll road between Austin and San Antonio hits 85 miles per hour — the highest limit in the country.
Constructions crews on Wednesday began posting 85-mph speed limit signs along a pending section of toll road on Texas' State Highway 130. This 41-mile stretch of highway, which will open for traffic by Nov. 11, is on the east side of Austin and heads southwest toward San Antonio.
Chris Lippincott, an official with the State Highway 130 Concession Co., said that the Texas Department of Transportation has determined that this area is safe to travel at 85 mph.
Related: Texas studies 85-mph speed limit, fastest in US
"We are committed to operating a safe, reliable highway for our customers," Lippincott said in a statement. "On any road, drivers hold the key to safety based on traffic, travel conditions and the capabilities of their own vehicles."
The first 85-mile an hour speed limit signs are going up on a stretch of Route 130 outside of Austin, Texas. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
Since the repeal of the 55-mph national speed limit for U.S. highways in 1995, 34 states have individually raised their speed limits to 70 mph or higher on portions of their roads, according to the Governors Highway Safety Association.
Other roads in the Lone Star State also have high speed limits: On some highways in rural West Texas, drivers can legally cruise as fast as 80 mph, The Associated Press reported. Utah is the only other state in the country with posted speeds at 80 mph, with that as the limit on portions of Interstate 15, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety believes higher speed limits have a costly trade-off.
"There's a clear safety downside to raising safety limits," spokesperson Russ Rader told NBC News. "The research is absolutely clear that high speed limits lead to higher crash deaths."
Rader cited a 2009 study that found that in more than 10 years of follow-up after the 1995 federal speed limit repeal, an estimated 12,545 American deaths were attributed to increased speed limits.
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"If safety were a priorty, states would not be raising speed limits," Rader said. "They would be finding ways to heavily enforce speed limits they have."
The National Motorists Association, an advocacy organization originally rooted in fighting the 55-mph national limit, believes higher speeds are a "win-win" situation.
"Based on what we have heard about it, the Texas Department of Transportation did in fact do their required homework to make this happen," spokesperson John Bowman said.
Related: Robot cars could increase highway efficiency 273 percent, study says
"The prevailing wisdom is setting the speed low," Bowman said, so there is a pressure to set low speed limits. However, he said they believe that legitimate studies often find that the speeds on roads should be raised.
"There's a myth that when you increase speed limits, accidents and fatalities go up," Bowman claimed.
According to Bowman, higher speeds can actually increase highway safety by letting traffic flow at is own rate, reducing conflicts between vehicles, less stopping and starting, and fewer quick lane changes.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Judge rules Fort Hood shooting suspect must be 'forcibly shaved'
- Hurricane Michael becomes year's first Category 3 storm; Leslie eyes Bermuda
- 4 dead after school bus collides with semi-truck in Nebraska
- Michelle Rhee: How Obama -- or Romney -- should change education
- Video: Guilty pleas entered in Ohio bridge bomb plot


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Monkey Fist 1-3/8″ Value Pack w Jig & 10 Steel Balls
This kit gives you the jig and round cores you need to make your monkey fist in the size specified.
In stock
The monkey fist design is about 1800 years old and has been used by sailors and crafters for centuries. My jig is called the _MoFIJi��_. It is a south Pacific word that means shrimp, on the island of Tonga. It is my own trademarked design and has been engineered specifically for the size ball it is built for. Compact and light but durable, it is made from Oak and shaped to fit well in your hand or stand on its own should you be interrupted in process. It gives the experienced maker the ability to turn out a monkey fist in much less time. If you are a beginner, then the jig helps you hold the turns in place and give you a uniform outcome with every effort as you learn how to make them.
There are instructions included and a link to the YouTube video which shows how to use it.


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Rep. Bachmann says she won't run for re-election
ST. PAUL, Minn. -- Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann, a tea party favorite, announced Wednesday she will not run for another term in the U.S. House, saying her decision had nothing to do with ongoing investigations over finances related to her unsuccessful run for the Republican presidential nomination.
Bachmann, in a video posted on her website, also said her decision "was not influenced by any concerns about my being re-elected."
The polarizing conservative narrowly won a fourth term last year in her suburban Minneapolis district over Democrat Jim Graves, a hotel chain founder who is running again in 2014. A spokesman said Bachmann wouldn't be available for interviews, but her former chief of staff said he suspects she was anticipating a tough battle ahead and seemed to be stuck in place in Congress.
"This is a great chance to exit stage right rather than have a knockdown, drag-out re-election fight," said Ron Carey, also an ex-state GOP chairman. In her video, Bachmann also said her decision "was not impacted in any way by the recent inquiries into the activities of my former presidential campaign" last year.
In January, a former Bachmann aide filed a complaint with the Federal Election Commission, claiming the candidate made improper payments to an Iowa state senator who was the state chairman of her 2012 presidential run. The aide, Peter Waldron, also accused Bachmann of other FEC violations.
Bachmann had given few clues she was considering leaving Congress. Her fundraising operation was churning out the regular pitches for the small-dollar donations that Bachmann collected so well over the years, and she had an ad running on Twin Cities television talking about her role in opposing President Barack Obama's health law.
The early timing of the ad suggested she was preparing for a tough fight against Graves.
Without the polarizing Bachmann on the ticket, Republicans could have an easier time holding a district that leans more heavily in the GOP direction than any other in Minnesota. A parade of hopefuls was expected. By Wednesday morning, state Rep. Matt Dean, a former House majority leader, said he was inclined to run.
"It is something I have thought about in the past if Michele were to not run again," Dean told The Associated Press. "It's not something that I just started thinking about this morning."
Graves said he thought Bachmann had "read the tea leaves."
"The district is changing," the Democrat said in an interview Wednesday with KARE-TV in Minneapolis. "They want somebody who really does have some business background and understands the economy and can get things done in Washington and back in the district."
Andy Aplikowski, who has long been active in the district's Republican Party chapter, said he expected Bachmann to run again but can understand why she didn't.
"It's a grueling thing to be in Congress. It's a grueling thing to be Michele Bachmann in Congress," he said. "Every move you make is criticized and put under a microscope."
Bachmann's strongly conservative views propelled her into politics, and once there, she never backed down.
She was a suburban mother of five in 1999 when she ran for a Minnesota school board seat because she thought state standards were designed to teach students values and beliefs.
She lost that race, but won a state Senate seat a year later. Once in St. Paul, she seized on gay marriage as an issue and led a charge to legally define marriage in Minnesota as between one man and one woman. That failed, but Bachmann had laid the foundation with social conservatives to help propel her into Congress in 2006.
In Washington, she turned to fiscal issues, attacking Democrats and President Barack Obama for government bailouts and the health care overhaul. Even in her early years in Congress, Bachmann frequently took those views to right-leaning cable talk programs, cultivating her national image even as she built a formidable fundraising base with like-minded viewers outside Minnesota.
But her penchant for provocative rhetoric sometimes backfired. She was hammered in 2008 for saying Obama might have "anti-American views," a statement that prompted a rare retreat by Bachmann and made her race that year closer than it would have been. She was also criticized by her fellow Republicans last July for making unsubstantiated allegations that an aide to Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton had family ties to Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood.
Her White House bid got off to a promising start, with a win in an Iowa GOP test vote. But Bachmann quickly faded and finished last when the real voting started in Iowa's leadoff caucuses, a result that caused her to drop out. Saddled with debt, Bachmann opted to campaign again for her Minnesota seat and squeaked through.
But the failed presidential campaign continued to dog her. Allegations of improper payments prompted ethics inquiries. Bachmann also faced a lawsuit from a former aide that alleged someone on the congresswoman's team stole a private email list of home-school supporters for use in the campaign. That case is pending.
On Wednesday, Bachmann -- a vocal opponent of the Obama administration -- promised her supporters, "I will continue to work overtime for the next 18 months in Congress defending the same Constitutional Conservative values we have worked so hard on together."
As for her plans beyond Congress, she said, "There is no future option or opportunity, be it directly in the political arena or otherwise, that I won't be giving serious consideration if it can help save and protect our great nation."
Bachmann's success in the talk media world led industry analysts to say she could easily move into a gig as a host.
Bachmann has been mentioned as a potential challenger to first-term Democratic Sen. Al Franken, but she has given little indication that she would take that step.
Kesten reported from Washington.


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JACKSON HOLE, WYO. Eco-touring Get your fill of nature with LEED-certified Hotel Terra's \"Eco-Adventure\" package to capture on film the best of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Then, after a long day of eco-touring, wind down by reviewing the highlights on the plasma screen in your plush...
Get your fill of nature with LEED-certified Hotel Terra's "Eco-Adventure" package to capture on film the best of Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. Then, after a long day of eco-touring, wind down by reviewing the highlights on the plasma screen in your plush room.
Dates: Available May 1 through Sept. 30.
Price: From $348 a night (three-night minimum), including lodging for two, breakfasts, a full day on Eco Tour Adventures' bio-fueled SUV with a wilderness guide, a Flip Ultra camera and viewing tools (spotting scopes and binoculars), snacks and lunch. Price excludes taxes and fees.
Contact: Hotel Terra, Jackson Hole; (800) 631-6281, www.hotelterrajacksonhole.com
Cultural excursion
Burst into song as
Itinerary: Salzburg to Melk, Krems, Schönbrunn and Vienna.
Dates: June 29 to July 6.
Price: Starting at $1,899 per person, double occupancy ($2,299 single supplement), land only, (with airfare, prices start at $3,089 per person), including two nights at the Hotel Altstadt Radisson Salzburg, four nights at the Hotel Savoyen Vienna, six breakfasts, two dinners and a tour manager throughout. Price excludes airport taxes and fees.
Contact: Gutsy Women Travel, Fort Washington, Pa.; (866) 464-8879, www.gutsywomentravel.com
South China Sea cruise
Spend two weeks in the South China Sea aboard the upscale Azamara Quest exploring the highlights of Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand and Singapore.
Itinerary: Hong Kong to Hue and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; Sihanoukville, Cambodia; Bangkok, Thailand; and Singapore.
Dates: Jan. 9-23, 2010.
Price: $1,999, double occupancy ($3,689 single supplement) per person, including meals and entertainment but not including airfare, taxes and fees, transfers, travel insurance and optional land excursions.
Info: Azamara Cruises, Miami; (877) 999-9553; www.azamaracruises.com
Lend a hand
Give back to a city that offers the traveler so much. The New Orleans Marriott presents the "Build & Bond" deal, which helps volunteer groups lend a hand.
Dates: Available now, with no end date specified.
Price: $84 a night, up to quadruple occupancy, including use of a meeting room, parking for group vans, a resource kit that includes local transportation information, 50% off parking for personal vehicles and discounted box lunches.
Contact: Marriott, New Orleans; (504) 581-1000, www.nolamarriott.com
Sun and culture
Bask in Colombia's sun and culture with Yampu's "Highlight Trip," which takes you to a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Caribbean beaches, a biosphere reserve and a national park.
Itinerary: Cartagena and San Andrés.
Dates: Departure dates on an ongoing basis.
Price: Land only from $1,706; double occupancy (single supplement $2,442), including three-star overnight accommodations, some meals, a guided tour of Old Town Cartagena, a cruise to Islas del Rosario, a flight and transfer from Cartagena to San Andrés, a San Andrés Island tour and a transfer from San Andrés to Bogotá.
Info: Yampu,


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Ryu on track to return to mound Wednesday
Andy Call is a contributor to MLB.com.
CINCINNATI -- Dodgers rookie left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu, who was scratched from his scheduled start Friday due to back stiffness, threw a 40-pitch bullpen session Sunday and said he should be able to make his scheduled start Wednesday against Arizona.
"I felt great," Ryu said through an interpreter.
Left-hander Chris Capuano, who had to come out of his start on Friday with a mild groin strain, threw light catch from 60 feet on Sunday.
"I should be able to test it a little bit within a few days," Capuano said.
Manager Don Mattingly characterized Capuano as "moving forward."
Read More: Los Angeles Dodgers, Hyun-Jin Ryu, Chris Capuano


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Gardeners can learn to be pollinator friendly at Ag Progress Days
Gardeners can learn to be pollinator friendly at Ag Progress Days
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. -- The benefits of creating pollinator-friendly landscapes will be the focus of the Yard and Garden area at Penn State's Ag Progress Days, Aug. 12-14 at Rock Springs.
The demonstration plots at the Yard and Garden area are now five years old, and their many flowers and plantings are attracting and nourishing huge numbers of native bees, butterflies and other pollinators for which they are intended, according to Molly Sturniolo, coordinator of Penn State Extension's Master Gardener program in Centre County.
As the nation's populations of pollinators continued to be in jeopardy, Penn State Master Gardeners from across the state teamed with horticulture faculty members to create and nurture the gardens at the end of 11th Street at the show site to demonstrate that supplying pollinators with food and habitat can be beautiful.
Sturniolo noted that Ag Progress Days visitors are drawn to the colorful floral displays and comment on the abundance of butterflies.
"The demonstration plots serve as living proof that the average gardener can do something to attract and help pollinators," she said. "Planting these flowers and other host plants is well within their ability."
Experts say that pollinators promote the survival of 90 percent of the world's flowering species and are responsible for one out of every three bites of food consumers eat. However, wild honeybee populations have declined 25 percent since 1990, and more than 50 pollinator species are either threatened or endangered.
To help support and propagate these beneficial insects, Penn State Master Gardeners offer the Pollinator Friendly Garden Certification program, which teaches homeowners and gardeners to certify their landscapes as pollinator-friendly.
The certification includes such skills as planting a year-round native garden of diverse and abundant plants, maintaining a parcel of wild and undisturbed vegetation, installing bee nests and minimizing pesticide use.
Visitors who sign up to complete the four-step certification process (which carries a $10 fee) will be eligible to purchase a pollinator-friendly sign for their property.
Honeybee demonstrations also will be conducted. Located adjacent to the new raised garden beds will be an observation beehive. Experts from the Pennsylvania State Beekeeper's Association and Penn State Extension will be on hand to provide guidance and answer questions.
Information will be available on Penn State Extension's innovative online course, Beekeeping 101.
Master Gardeners will be on hand in the Yard and Garden Tent to answer any questions about horticulture and gardening in general. In addition, experts from Penn State's Department of Entomology will field questions and identify insects brought by visitors.
Also, Sturniolo noted, the area will highlight the benefits of growing plants in high tunnels and backyard high tunnels, which are greenhouse-like structures that often enable growers to fine-tune the growth environment and extend the growing season.
The Yard and Garden Tent also will feature potato crops, offering multiple potato varieties growing in the soil and freshly dug tubers. Visitors can see some of the potato varieties grown in Pennsylvania as well as some new varieties. Freshly harvested potato samples will be on display.
The following demonstrations are scheduled at the Yard and Garden Area:
--Aug. 12
1 p.m.: Flower-Arranging Demonstration
2 p.m.: Pollinator Gardening Presentation
--Aug. 13
11 a.m.: Flower-Arranging Demonstration
2 p.m.: Flower-Arranging Demonstration
6 p.m.: Pollinator Gardening Presentation
--Aug. 14
11 a.m.: Flower Arranging Demonstration
2 p.m.: Flower-Arranging Demonstration
Sponsored by Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences, Ag Progress Days is held at the Russell E. Larson Agricultural Research Center at Rock Springs, nine miles southwest of State College on Route 45. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Aug. 12; 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 13; and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Aug. 14. Admission and parking are free. Free shuttle bus service between the Ag Progress Days site and downtown State College will be available.
For more information, visit the Ag Progress Days website. Twitter users can find and share information about the event by using the hashtag #agprogress, and Facebook users can find the event here.


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*** (out of four)
Radiohead's Thom Yorke has always explored quiet mental spaces, so your instinct when listening to his music might be to turn down the volume. The swelling guitars, swirling vocals and sweeping washes of sound that characterize Radiohead can feel too pretty to exist in anything but crystalline miniature. Or are you the one person that really blasts "Kid A"?
It's possible to listen to "AMOK," Yorke's side project/sort-of solo effort that enlists the help of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich and Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, among others, this way. Yet the album deserves to be played loudly, in a place where its constant, heavy basslines can be fully appreciated. The individual clattering rhythms that flit over said basslines--which might pass for minimalist Neptunes beats or Aphex Twin songs in isolation--should be fully absorbed as part of the maximal landscape they form when piled together. Songs like the muscular "Dropped" and frenetic closer "Amok" ask to be treated as overwhelming and explosive.
Played quietly, the electronic production/live instrumentation blend of "AMOK" might pass for any Radiohead album since "Kid A," in fact, particularly suggesting some lost link between "In Rainbows" and "King of Limbs." At times the album can resemble that band's recent, occasionally indulgent noodling. But turned up, its low end is smothering in the best way.
While it's clear we're in familiar headspace, particularly on tracks such as the restless, keening "Ingenue," here it becomes a place that is as pulsing and vibrant as it is confused and delicate.
Kyle Kramer is a RedEye special contributor. @redeyechimusic
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